Jean-Michel Jarre and special guest Brian May by Queen electrified an audience of 100,000 fans May 12 gathered in Bratislava, Slovakia, on Sunday (May 12) at Bridge from the Future, the opening concert for the Starmus Festival, presented in partnership with digital security company ESET.
Jarre opened the concert with a Blue Dot in Space, a composition created by Jarre for Starmus, where real sounds of the stars were integrated into the soundscape, “inviting the audience to think about our place on Earth within the world and the future of our world. home planet, reflecting the theme of this year's edition of STARMUS Festival,” according to a statement.
“The stunning production featured exquisitely choreographed architectural light and laser displays that were visible from three different countries, including Austria and Hungary. A mesmerizing ballet of 400 drones painted the night sky with a supernova-like display, while fireworks punctuated the musical score. The stage featured two towering turrets over 30 meters high, perfectly framing the UFO bridge behind it, which was decorated with lights and lasers. Jarre designed the entire visual element himself, thinking of it as a score to music.”
The concert featured 19 musical works spanning the career of Jean-Michel Jarre, including a new arrangement of Antonín Dvořák's New World Symphony and performances with May of the newly adapted works Bratislava Time and Rendez-vous Bratislava. Jarre was also joined on stage by his backing band of longtime collaborator Claude Samard and newcomer British musician Adiescar Chase, who played violin, bass guitar and didgeridoo among other instruments.
The concert was televised on Slovakia's national television network RTVS as well as worldwide via the EBU network and streamed live on Jean-Michel Jarre's YouTube channel. The concert is available to watch online for another seven days. Learn more about Starmus here.
